


Duly Noted

by iruka92



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, Gen, I don't even know what its like in the US, I don't have a clue what England is like, So many facts unchecked
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-27
Updated: 2012-08-27
Packaged: 2017-11-13 00:25:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/497335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iruka92/pseuds/iruka92
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Jared Ross decided to run away from his tennis celebrity persona, he turned to England. Perhaps Canterbury would be a nice change.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Duly Noted

**Author's Note:**

> To be quite honest, I have no bloody idea what it is that I'm writing. This was the work of a pressed student for creative writing. Not very creative. Plus points for those who could recognize where the names came from.

 

 

“Are you interested in the tennis club?”

 

The unknown voice caused Jared to instinctively turn to its direction. A lone figure; locks of teal hair with a pair of stunning blue eyes caught his attention. It was a little disorienting since he could not have felt her presence at all. The girl was noticeably shorter than himself  but Jared knows how looks can deceive.

 

“I’m sorry to disappoint you but no” he rejected politely.

 

_‘A junior, perhaps? She must have been new since I do not recognize her. Well, none of it matters anyway. The most important thing to me now is maintaining a good result.’_

 

“Why won’t you join us?” the girl asked.

 

Slowly, she walked closer to him, disrupting his nonchalant way of ignoring redundant things as she was invading his personal space altogether. Soft hands touched the muscles on his arm, leaving an odd tug in his heart when she stepped away from his physique.

 

“Because I have more important things to do, girl. A-and don’t touch me!” he spluttered. Jared blessed the gods above for having a tanned skin lest people would notice the flushed look on his face at the touch.

 

“Ah, a shy one this year. Matt would be pleased.” the girl chuckled. The wind tousled her hair as she skipped happily across the club area.

 

“I’ll see you around Jared Ross. Somehow I believe that your rejection is futile from the start,” she whispered mysteriously before joining a group of girls that Jared recognized as second years from the elite section of Canterbury School.

 

_‘How did she even know my name?’_

Jared calmly gathered up his belongings before furthering his way to the dormitory. He was in his third year in Canterbury after moving from time to time joining tournaments as a tennis professional under the pseudonym Jay Ackles back in United States.

 

There were a number of reasons why he decided to run away from all that fame and glory. First of all, Jared misses the lush green and weather England offers and here is where he truly belonged. The Ross family is a dominant name in the business world and his father’s alma meter was here in Canterbury. Thus, it was not a question that the heir of the Ross family would attend the same place, receiving the same right of education in order to take his rightful place in the Ross Industry.

 

They were very far off from the famous ones such as Stark or Wayne Enterprise but the company is getting there. Jared contemplated leaving the world he misses so much as tennis made up his childhood and tennis was one of the things his late grandfather left him with; however the empire was built and founded by the family and family is indeed the priority.

 

His mother opposes so much on his decision to stop playing but Charles Ross approved the adult choice his only son had made. Jared could only smile and proceeded packing his bags to good old England. He had a good month of polishing his posh accent in order to blend in with the crowd and to not let his other persona, that is Jay Ackles back to the spotlight.

 

Sighing deeply, he walked to the common room where a list of names was gathered on a sheet of paper. Even when the technology is at its prime, the school does things pretty much like how it was done 50 years ago. The traditional concept is similar with that of Eton and it never stopped amusing Jared to no end.

_‘Let us see here. R, R, R, Ross. Hah! Here it is’_

 

**Ross J.**

**Spektor D.**

**Drake House. Room 10B**

 

 

Satisfied with what he had found, Jared, along with many others raced back to their rooms as tomorrow is going to be a very tough day. Not that he would know them.

 

 

 

In any other situation, Jay might have snapped at the rowdy crowd he was currently experiencing in his room but then Jared realized that Jay is not Jared and by that, he should enjoy the commotion. Apparently Dean Spektor is the ace of the tennis club back in middle school and being famous earned him a full ride scholarship here in Canterbury.

 

“My man! Don’t look so glum.  Come here and have a bit of chicken wings.” Dean smiled brightly, hands expressive in describing the tender texture of well fried bacon he was eating. A normal reply would be filled with hostility but the way Dean genuinely says things turned off his irritation.

 

Jared had secured a corner in the room after bracing the sudden influx of students leeching on free food much to his annoyance. He was bipolar by nature and insanely a stuck up on privacy but he promised to learn to bear with this at least until he graduated from the school.

 

_‘I couldn’t do anything more unless the party’s over. Might as well get this end with a drink’._ Reaching for the cup he had left on the coffee table, he refilled them with the cocktail made by Samantha, Dean’s girlfriend earlier. Jared knew that being new in the circle will be a bore thus Dean took the liberty by  introducing him to a couple of friends of his and everyone knows making acquaintances would be profitable in the long run. Building connections is an important factor in a company’s success.

 

If Jared had been absorbed in the discussion being done at the east wing of the building, he might not have noticed the teal haired girl from earlier that morning. It was a brilliant move of the higher ups when he decided to stay in the crowd instead of following a young Tom Wayne regarding a secret club gathering.

 

The girl was happily chatting with her friends draped in a soft yellow muslin dress unlike the school uniform she had donned earlier. It escaped Jared’s mind to even ask the girl for her name when they have first met. He did not introduce himself, correct but the girl figured out on her own. He contemplated for quite some time before a shadow came across him, yet again.

 

“See. We meet again, Mr. Ross,” she said cheekily. Holding a cup with a mini pizza on the other, she looked content for a minute. Jared ate his share before the party started and he was not famished anymore.   Decided that it was rude to observe her eat, he observed the crowd in front of him.

 

It was a game he played long ago when he had to follow his mother to social gatherings such as these. In order to avoid mitigated disaster as one might worry, his father put it to practice by leaving him this game. Observe and Regale.

 

Observe and Regale is a game where one observes and tell stories about the individuals they have seen or observed. No points would be given if you got it wrong but no points would be given even if you have gotten it right. It was a good sport when he got bored waiting in the town car for his parents. The game taught him the skills of body language and deception. It was something he uses in his special tennis skills.

 

Students are typical lot. The lassies dressed up inappropriately but they were rarely side-eyed within their peers and the men suited up. The academicians, normal straight A students would be present with a tweed jacket and Jared scoffed at the knowledge as some tried to pull it off with a burgundy jacket. It was a sad attempt and appalling to the eyes.  

 

Back to the main event, his eyes were enraptured on the figure facing him. He did not really concentrate on her appearance then but now she looked exquisite.

 

“Hello again Miss,” he bowed and offered his arm to her for a walk. Her eyebrows rose but she accepted the offer as the pair took off from the scene to the gardens outside. “Last time I did not catch your name. It was very rude of me when you obviously knew mine,” he added.

 

She readjusted her hair clip, giving off an unmistaken grace of a well-breed lady. Slowly, she turned her eyes back to him and formally introduced herself. “Elizabeth Jennings of Lorena House. Second year as you are here in Canterbury,” She smiled. “You may call me Lizzy though. Elizabeth is a bit mouthful,”

 

Jared guffawed at her blatant attempt at joking as she joined him back towards the mini gathering hosted back at Drake House. Lizzy did small talks very well and leaded them to discussions which interested Jared, especially when she started talking about the recent Olympic games.

 

“Do you suppose Roger let Andy won freely?”

 

He quirked his lips. “That is the worst insult you could have given to a professional player who is at the top of his game, Miss Jennings. Representing your own country is a big honour even though _it was_ _less_ than a month ago that both of them played in the Wimbledon Open,”

 

That was a surprising question coming from her when Jared remembered clearly that she was scouting him for the school’s tennis club.

 

“I suppose so, Jared. I do not know much about tennis and please, call me Lizzy,” she pleaded. “Miss Jennings sound so distant and old,” she said playfully.

 

A ghost of a smile went by his face as Jared refilled her refreshments. “Why did you even invite me to join your tennis club, Lizzy?” He was downright curious because he was relatively unknown in England and leading a double life made him a tad paranoid.

 

“Hmm. First of all you cannot lie to me if you said you do not play sport since your body is well-toned,”. To demonstrate her theory she traced the lines of his arms from left to right. “Besides, the muscle is more dominant on your right hand and that is normal among tennis players presuming that you are right handed, of course,”

 

“Very clever, Lizzy,” Jared whispered. It was a good time as ever to pose the other question to her.  “Now would you tell me why I should join you?”

 

Lizzy smiled inwardly listening to the chatter of the guests surrounding them. She knows how the scene would look to the others. The moon was whispering to her and she intends to follow what the dark night suggested. Jared saw her fiddling with her dress but did not think much of it, not minding the romantic mood they were in. 

 

“Meet me tomorrow at the court, 5 in the evening sharp and you will see,” Lizzy replied, slipping a small piece of paper in his suit pocket. “I’ll be waiting, Jay Ackles,”

 

_‘You naughty minx.’_ Jared stared at the paper unfolded in his palms.

 

**Lizzy Jennings**

**189-090-9090**

 

Back in the party Jared joined in the rambunctious bunch of lads, undeterred at the outcome of things. Now that he remembered correctly, Jennings family is related to his mother’s side. _‘I see where this may lead me, mother. I should have known’._

 

His mirth was not understood by others as they pointedly ignoring him for ‘scoring a chick on your first week’. Jared immediately denied their accusations and turned red due to embarrassment but there was a nagging feeling in his head suggesting that the accusation is in consideration for future notice. Lizzy is a lovely girl with an enchanting smile and laugh. Her teal hair looks magnificent in the moonlight and her beauty is certainly not to be condoned.

 

Perhaps fate would have a say since you do not play with fate.

 

Fate certainly does not play with you.

 

 

 

 

“It is your turn,” Dean said, and Jared could tell from the tone of his voice that there was no arguing.

 

Jared was calculating escape routes, trying to cajole his way out of the fitness test hosted by the school as it was one of the best ways to ascertain a catch for new athletes. Considering how Jared had managed to escape from the limelight that is London for so long, it is a shame that the doctor would realize quickly how his body is shaped and without even telling he would have known what sort of sport he plays.

 

_‘Lizzy knew my style of playing just after..’_ he ended his train of thought. For one, he did not go to the court the day after the welcome party; he contemplated for a few minutes but decided it was best for his interest if he did not show up. He was afraid of the temptation the racquets could make him do.

 

To make things worse, Jared too had not been seeing the teal haired girl for quite some time. And if Dean took note of his annoyance, he did not comment on it. Jared appreciates his roommate’s antics and the way he values the other’s privacy. _‘Besides, tennis goes a long way. Commitment will deprave me of work and work is always important’_ he huffed.  Dean shrugged at his apparent self-agony, reaching for the Cosmopolitan magazine placed on the couch.

 

“Oh bro you’ve got to look at this!” Dean exclaimed loudly, making scathing remarks on the revealing gravure models on the advertisement pages of the magazine. Jared face palming himself over the embarrassment that he brought upon that time.

 

A sound of heels clacking shook the reverie they were both in. “Mr. Ross, you are up next,” Miss Melrose, the head nurse looked up at the boy’s face before gesturing him towards the door.

 

He glanced up to a pair of obsidian eyes, looking fairly amused at Jared’s predicament. “I’ll say you’re in some kind of an undercover celebrity thing? Trying hard to play ninja huh, Jarpad,” said the doctor.

 

“Darn it, brother. Why.. what are you doing here?” immediately Jared switched to his American slang knowing his sibling would not appreciate the posh accent he tended to speak in with his mother.

 

“To save your ass, of course. Indeed a rather strange request I received from a girl for a certain Mr. Ackles,” Daniel Ackles, conman with an MD, certainly looking like every other doctor in the world except that he rarely practices what he studied. Jared was a little sheepish, having a hunch on ‘the girl’ who asked for his brother’s help.

 

It would not do him a favour if everyone knows who he is.

 

“Stop strategizing. That girl is two steps ahead from you. I’m surprised, really.” Daniel added jokingly. “She could be the Irene Adler to your inner Holmes,” eyes raking at the impressive dorm room Jared is assigned in.

 

“Fancy a game of chess, Dan? I reckon you brought them over,”

 

“I am just going to win again, Jarpad,”

 

An hour passed by. Jared stared at his knight on the chess set, grunting. “Why do you enjoy this so much?” closing in to Dan’s queen. It is undeniable that his brother holds the glory when it comes to strategizing.

 

When Jay Ackles is gifted in tennis, Daniel makes it up with business mergers (and his occasional run as a conman cum doctor). Thus he was trusted to run the company while Jay continues his studies back in England. The brothers rarely meet each other due to their busy schedule but when they do, they would do it right.

 

“You don’t suppose, you could tell me more about the girl, no?” Knocking off Jared’s knight with a swish of his Queen, he yawned. But Jared knew better.

 

“There is nothing to tell,” ‘ _because nothing good ever comes when you want to know something’._

 

“Indeed. _Check_ and mate, brother,”

 

The brothers chuckled and ended their prolonged game with a swig of drink on their hands. Their lavish lifestyle allowed them the pleasure to do whatever they want and sometimes the privilege is very useful.

 

Jay Ackles loves showing off but Jared Ross does not. So the question is now, which one holds the persona to the individual?

 

 

 

 

**_3 months later_ **

 

 

“What’s up, Ross!” Jared was shook from his reverie when Dean called him over the window.

 

The library building was strategically placed facing the tennis court. It tempts Jared every now and then to go to the court and just play with no intention of winning. Tennis made him to who he was right now, where he could simply do something and evolves without a blue blood last name such as ‘Ross’.

 

A fast _whoosh_ was heading towards his face before his instinct acted and immediately caught the tennis ball effortlessly into his hands.

 

“Great catch, bro! But I do need the ball right now,” A friend of Dean’s was saying on the opposite court from Dean’s.

 

Jared sighed and went downstairs towards the court to hand the guy his ball.  It went okay at least until a certain female blocked his vision with her body.

 

“Hi Jared,” Lizzy greeted.

 

Dean ran out from the court, with a nod to Lizzy, he pulled Jared, shoving him towards the court. Said boy was a little spooked with the attention showered towards him. The guy who was playing with Dean came over and shook hands with him.

 

“Matthew Clarke. You, Ross?”

 

“Y-yeah,”

 

“Come on. One game. Don’t make me regret this, kid,” Matt said with a bored tone.

 

“Oh man, Matt!! Play easy with him, alright? Dude does not know a single thing,” he exclaimed loudly. Lizzy was just staring at him with a smirk plastered on her face. Jared can bet that the events were planned by the minx. She proved herself by talking it out with Dan Ackles after all.

 

_‘Mother said okay and father will just have to wait,’_ Jared smiled to himself.

 

Time to end the cocky guy’s ego.

 

He slowly relaxes, vice like grip loosening their hold on the racquet. Dean’s Wilson is nothing like his Barbolar at home. One hand comes up to support his head as the mood replays themselves in his mind. They are grainy, hard edged with time he took by not playing tennis, and some of the feeling has lost its intensity, yet it lights him up as easily as a high pace game.

 

_Inhale, exhale_. Jared serves.

 

One side off the court, the players stopped playing as they witnessed their ace player being ruined by the new kid whose game looked ghastly similar to one of the top players who vanished last year.

 

Perhaps it was high time for Lizzy to warn them that Jay Ackles is back.

 

**THE END.**

 

 

_prepared for_

PN NOORITA

MKT243

 

 

 

 


End file.
